Different Blood
by Brunilocks
Summary: I only had one dilemma left to consider. Call Edward and forbid him to come see only to risk having him show up anyway? Ooooorrr…. Go to the Cullens as planned and have myself get mauled to death. Either way, both options were dangerous, I just didn’t kno


Newbie to the Twilight fandom! XD

I brought New Moon yesterday and just finished up the last chapter.

Have no idea why, but this just popped into my head so randomly. Rated T.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot!

--

I stood under the shower. The hot water drummed on my back while I closed my eyes. It's probably the closest thing to a cure that I have right now. The annoying stabbing pain on the small of my back completely disappeared. I'm not sure how long I'd be in here, but I was more than willing to stay under the shower for the better part of the day. It's not like Charlie had any medication in the cabinets anyway and I did not feel like going out to buy any. Thankfully, I only had to pills left, but I knew it would not help. The way I downed them on a monthly basis was like the way Edward could suck a deer dry. Renee warned me several times when I live with her not to go over a certain amount, but I paid no mind. Sure, there was a warning label on the bottle, but no one reads it and Charlie doesn't know how many I digest in a day, so I'm pretty comfortable with my choice of dosage. I don't think Edward will be though.

Edward.

I still had no idea how to handle this with him. He could probably smell me miles away. The last time he went on a hunting trip was two weeks ago. I should advise him to go as soon as possible, maybe even today. It was pretty sunny out form what I could tell anyway. I just didn't know how to explain to him that he shouldn't see me for a few days. He'd probably go on the defensive and show up at my window in a second, but that was a risk I did not want to take. I wasn't sure if he could control himself. As he said before, I was his personal brand of heroine.

Of all the people in world, I had to fall in love with a vampire. What was I thinking?

Someone pounded on the door. "Bella?!" Charlie's voice rose of the shower. He pounded again as if to make sure I heard him. "Do you plan on drowning in there?" he called, "It's been a whole hour!"

Wow. I actually beat my record of forty five minutes. "I'm getting out now!" I shouted back. Reluctantly, I turned off the shower and the water came to an abrupt halt.

The moment pain shot up my back, I want to jump back under and start the hot shower all over again. I refrained myself and instead wrapped a towel around my body. Charlie's footsteps faded and when I heard him stomping down the stair, I opened the door. Hot steam flew out the door and into the hallway. I turned on the fan and then padded down the hall to my room.

"Breakfast is on the table for you, Bella!" he yelled up to me. I guess he heard me in the hall.

I grimaced at the thought of food. My stomach took a sharp pain and I moaned out a quick answer, "Not hungry!" and then vanished into my room, closing and locking the door behind me.

A breeze swirled into my room and I shivered. I had left the window open in case Edward decided to drop by, but he said something about helping prepare for my arrival. I love the Cullens, but they really take things to the extreme. They go through the trouble of making my favorite foods, picking out movies, constructing a bed and setting up a few games. Last weekend we played Scrabble. I have horrible spelling skills, mind you. Hopefully, even though I don't know why I do, they would just leave me to myself.

Yeah, right.

I closed my window and my curtains before turning to my closet. After I addressed my toiletries, I turned to my closet. Jeans was something I dreaded on these days. My sweatpants looked very tempting. I slipped them on and then pulled a white wife beater over my head. These are what I like to call my comfy clothes.

So now I only had one dilemma left to consider. Call Edward and forbid him to come see only to risk having him show up anyway? Ooooorrr…. Go to the Cullens as planned and have myself get mauled to death. Either way, both options were dangerous, I just didn't know which one to pick. Carlslie was a good note, though. Perhaps with him at the house, he can settled things down. He is in much more in control of himself, I'm sure.

The decision is made. Alice is probably already expecting my arrival in a few minutes. I didn't want to keep them waiting. I jammed my feet into my old, worn tennis shoes, put on my windbreaker, grabbed my tote bag and headed downstairs. Charlie was just rising from his spot on the table when I entered the kitchen. He gave me a half smile from the sink as I opened the fridge. There was still a bag of pretzels and the need for something salty over powered my lack of hunger.

Charlie raised his eyebrows. "Bella, I made eggs and bacon. They're in the microwave." I think he disapproved my choice of breakfast.

"I want pretzels." I stated, munching on them happily.

He wiped his hands on a rage after washing them and reached for his keys, "Well, I'm not going to argue with you." he sighed, shaking his head. I guess he sensed my change of mood and decided not to press it. My dad can be very smart when he wants to be. "You're going to the Cullen's?"

I nodded my head and wolfed down a mouthful of pretzels, savoring the salty after taste of the snack. "I'm spending the weekend," I added quickly. "Maybe." I was still not sure how they would handle my predicament.

"You call me at the station to let me know." he told me, "I'll be down there all do filling out paperwork. I won't be home till late."

"Okay."

He pressed his lips to my forehead as a farewell, grabbed his jacket and left the house. It was just me an the house now. There was no noise, just silence. I almost wanted to go back up to bed to dwell in the quietness of the house, but I sighed knowing that would not happen. Edward would probably drop by. The dilemmas of my life.

I grabbed my keys, keeping the bag of pretzels and followed Charlie out the door. He was backing out of the driveways as I stepped out the house. I waved at him and he did too before he sped off down the road. My truck was parked in the same spot it always is. My windows were down so I threw my tote inside and climbed in. The engine sputtered with a bang and then roared to life when I slipped the key into the ignition. Before I realized it, I had pulled out and was driving towards the Cullen's place.

--

I reached the house and felt slightly better than when I left. My pains had increased on the drive here and I'm guessing God heard my pleas because when I opened the glove compartment there was a half of a bottle of Midol in it. There was no water, but I was too desperate to care so I swallowed four pills with my bag of pretzels. My beloved salty snack did not make the whole trip. It was empty now. I felt kind of sad. They were really good and there wasn't anymore. Maybe Esme has some in her kitchen. She usually has all sorts of food stocked in the kitchen now since I joined the family. I'm suddenly glad that I decided to come, well, kinda.

When I get to the door, it's already opening and Edward stands in front of me. He flashes me a crooked smile. I hesitate in the doorway. "Bella?" his tone struck a worry chord.

"Bella!" I'm suddenly assaulted and I stumble back, but the pair of cold arms around my steady me as I teeter on my heels. "Careful, Bella." Alice says when she pulls away, "We can't have anymore accidents." she smiles and then suddenly her face changes. "You're bleeding." It's not a question, it's not a comment, it's a statement coated by disgust.

"I'm okay." I assure her, but she shakes her head and disappears from the door.

Edward's eyes follow her by glare. His golden gaze comes to me. I didn't miss the wrinkle of his nose or his suddenly stiff posture. He never reeled away from me and instead gave me a once over before stepping aside to let me in. I didn't peel my eyes from his as I walk past him into the house. The door closes and Edward's hand comes to the small of my back as he pushes me gently to the direction of the lounge where his family is gathered. I'm greeted eagerly, but they keep a slight distance.

"I think you should take Bella to your room." Esme says. She gives me small smile as if to make me feel better.

Rosalie untangles herself from her folded arms and legs. She glares at me. "You know where the bathroom is, right?" her gaze meets Edward's for a moment. She growls under breath and sits back against the couch. "Just get it over with." she mumbles.

"Come on, Bella." Edward beckons me upstairs. I take his smooth, cool hand in mine and let him guide up the steps to his room. "Sit down." I do as he asks and find a comfortable spot on his bed that was most likely set up for me. "Do you want anything?"

"No," I shake my head. Actually, I was still craving for pretzels. "I'm fine."

"Bella," he looks so uncomfortable.

I sigh and roll my eyes. It's probably harder for him than it is for me. I guess, I could be a little nice and offer him a cop out. "We both know what you're trying to say." I told him in a frustrated voice, "And if you love me, you won't say it."

He clamped his mouth shut. His eyes flooded with appreciativeness and relief. "I won't."

"Good." and it was, but it still did not diffuse the awkwardness. "You know, if it's that hard for you, I can leave." I suggested. "It will be a couple of days that you can't see me, though."

Edward was beside me in a flash. His strong, cold arms were wrapped around me and his nose was buried deep in my hair. I pressed myself closer against his hard chest as rubbed his hands up and down my back. The movement caused shivers to run through me. I couldn't help the moan that escaped my lips. My body was way to sensitive right now and his touches were driving me crazy. He bent his head, his lips resting against the side of my ear. The sweet breeze of his breath tickled along my ear and down my neck. I swallowed and inclined my head to press a kiss to his neck.

"I love you, Bella." he murmured into my ear. "No matter what's going on with you, I will never not want to see you. It's so hard just being away from you for mere minutes."

I smiled. How could Edward say all the right things a boy could? "I love you too." I whispered with a giggle and placed another kiss on the side of his jaw.

His chest rumbled with a growl. He lifted my chin with his finger and captured my mouth with his. I was in heaven. It started slow and steady like always then his tongue slipped between my parted lips. I accepted hungrily and leaned in on him for more. He did not resist my approach, but when I nibbled passionately on his lower lip, he suddenly snarled and flew back away from me and against the wall.

"I'm sorry." My guilt powered over me as I slowed my ragged breathing and stared down at the ground.

Edward's voice was thick. "It's not you." he told me as he pried himself from the wall and came closer to me.

I shook my head. "It's still my fault, I shouldn't have come."

"Bella -"

My eyes hardened with a glared and he silenced himself immediately. At least Charlie wasn't the only smart ones. "Edward, you smell the blood more clearly than you normally would." I explained to him slowly. "If I don't keep a reasonable distance for the next few days then…" my sentence was left unfinished. I didn't need to complete it.

"Bella, I'm fine." he insisted. I looked up at him. There were no traces of lies and his eyes were a healthy shade of gold. His nose, though was wrinkled and his mouth was scrunched up as if he there were a foul odor.

I sniffed the air, but I didn't smell anything. Downstairs, I could hear a round of laughter and it suddenly became quiet. "Why do you look like that?" I asked.

"This is going to be hard to say." he told me seriously.

"I'm listening."

He sat down next to me. "Bella…" It was like he was trying to talk to a child. "I'm sure you know the difference of smell between blood and…blood." he gave me a meaningful look.

"Yes." I nodded, feeling heat rush into my cheeks.

Oh God, this is the worst conversation I've had with Edward thus far. I just want to drown myself in his sheets and bury myself into the pillows of his bed.

"But that kind of blood is…Well, it's dead. It's Old." He said. I had bite on my lip to keep from laughing. Edward looked totally embarrassed as I felt. "It's also complied of hormones, so it gives the blood an entirely different scent than the blood flowing through veins."

"I get what you're telling me, but I don't see how you and your family-"

He cut me off. "To put it bluntly, that kind of blood is just repulsive." his words were emphasized by the wrinkling of his nose. "It's not hard for us in a thirst sense, but more because we can't stand the smell."

"So, I disgust you right now?"

I was a little more than hurt by the words.

He didn't lie. "Very much."

I wouldn't have minded if he sugar coated the truth. Angry at myself for even deciding to come here, I gathered up my tote bag and stood up. "Edward, I think I should go if-" I stopped abruptly to let out a gasp when Edward shoved me very gently against the wall of his room.

His arms were on either side of my head. "As unpleasant as you smell, Bella. I cannot help, but stay away from you." his sweet breath fanned my face. "The very thought of not being around you is enough to drive me insane. You just-" he stopped and shook his head, smiling crookedly at me. "You don't understand how important you are to me."

My mind was still reeling when he cautiously leaned in and with the back of his hand brushed the side of my face. I fell into his touch. He watched me, his golden eyes shining with adoration. I felt his hand travel from face, very slowly across my collar bone and down my neck only stopping his exploration when he reached the curve of my wife beater.

I shivered and found my voice. It was heavy. "I think I do." and he chuckled.

His eyes moved away from mine as he bent his head, his soft hair brushing against my face. The air got caught in my throat when I suddenly felt his icy lips following the trail his hand had taken before pausing at the corner of my lips. I held my breath, nibbling on my bottom lip as I let my eyes close to savor the moment. His mouth was hovering barely a few centimeters from touching mine, but I couldn't take the patience and stretched forward to close the distance. The kiss was slow, gentle and cold - it was the greatest feeling in the world to be kissing Edward Cullen. I'd rather not have anyone else, but him.

In the heat of the moment, I completely forgot about my surroundings and the caution to take things slowly when I threw my arms around his neck. I forcibly pulled him in deeper, wanting the closeness of his body against mine. Strong arms wrapped around my waist keeping me so dangerously close against his chest that it would be impossible to slip a sheet of paper between us. My tongue flickered against his lips for passage. He chuckled suddenly as he dropped removed his arms from my waist and pry my arms from the tight grip I had.

Stupid boundary lines.

"Let's behave." he said with a grin. "My family is waiting."

I pouted and crossed my arms over my chest. "You shouldn't tease me like that."

"It's hard not to."

I scowled.

Our hands entwined, we left his room and descended down the stairs. The Cullens were still in the lounge minus Esme and Rosalie who I assumed were preparing a meal for me. I gave them a sheepish smile and picked at an imaginary string on Edward's long sleeve.

"I'm sorry."

Alice beamed at me, but she still held a tightness in her face. "You don't need to apologize, Bella." she was sitting on the arm rest beside Jasper. "It's not your fault."

"Besides," Jasper started, "It's only once a month, right?"

Emmet laughed, "Yeah," he agreed, "The only time when the monster in Bella emerges!"

I glared at them as they laughed and exchanged fist taps.

"I wouldn't think that's a good thing to be celebrating about." I said darkly with a smirk.

They became silent. I think they were thinking over what I just said. It seemed to have clicked because Jasper suddenly dropped his gaze from mine and turned his head in the direction of the kitchen

"What's that, Carlisle?!" he called, cupping his hand around his ear. He jumped off the couch and vanished from sight. Emmet was dragged off after him by a smirking Rosalie.

Alice, Edward and I shared amused looks and then followed them.


End file.
